Putnam County soccer is on a mission, entering this week riding a hot streak of nine straight wins.
The War Eagles are ranked No. 10 in the Georgia High School Association’s Class AA, per Scorbord.com. However, head coach Michael Taylor doesn’t care about the ranking right now.
“I do look at (the rankings). Our rankings have kind of dropped, according to our strength of schedule,” Taylor explained. “When we play some of these other teams that don’t win as much, even though we win 10-0, our ranking sometimes tends to drop. So, I haven’t made too much of it at all with the team. I don’t bring it up in practice and aren’t sure if my players even pay attention to it.”
Putnam County is playing its best brand of soccer and has won nine straight heading into this week.
The War Eagles have outscored their opponents 74-3 during that stretch with seven consecutive shutouts. They’ve also defeated GMC Prep, which is currently Class A Division II’s top-ranked team.
“It does not seem that we have been on a nine-game winning streak,” Taylor added. “I think going into region play, we were excited and showed up like we have in the past couple of years. It’s hard to tell where we are, but I think we’re playing very well and are hitting on all cylinders right now. We’re looking forward to the playoffs in April, but we still have three tough games coming up.”
Players such as Emmanuel Meraz, Angel Sanchez, Bryan Canales, Christian Hernandez, and others have contributed to the offense’s success. Alex Jimenez has been solid in goal as well.
According to Taylor, Jimenez has really stepped up in clutch moments, especially for a freshman.
“Although he hasn’t faced a lot of adversity in the goal yet, whenever the other team has a chance to score, he’s been right there for us,” Taylor said. “He’s kept us in these games with several shutouts, and he’s been a pleasant surprise for us.”
Meraz is the team’s leading scorer as a junior with 26 goals and six assists. Canales and Sanchez lead the team in assists with 21 and 11, respectively. Their collective play, combined with Jimenez’s goaltending, has powered the team so far on its latest winning streak.
Putnam County will close out its region schedule with Thomson, Josey, and Butler to end the month of March. After a week off for spring break, the War Eagles will end the season against Greene County.
Putnam County, Josey, Butler, and Thomson are all battling for first place in Region 4-AA standings. The War Eagles are trying to repeat as region champions and are determined to do so.
“We’re hoping to continue that success,” Taylor said. “These next three matches won’t be easy, though.”
Putnam County beat Westside-Augusta 10-0 at home last Tuesday, with Meraz scoring five times. The War Eagles will host Josey and Butler, respectively, at Al Reaves Field in Eatonton next Monday and Wednesday.